SEATTLE — An presentation was being held in a conference room located at the Seattle KrakenWhen one of the doors started to slowly open in the practice facility, he was able to see clearly.
At that point, panic began to take shape.
A 6-foot tall, furry, blue troll was forced to hide in a corner. He had an anchor hoop earring on his left side, and a blue tentacle hanging out of his right ear. The room burst into laughter immediately after the person trying to enter the room was informed that it wasn’t a good idea.
Now you are aware of the lengths that the Kraken will go in order to keep their secret.
Buoy had never been seen before that day. Saturday was a turning point when Buoy was introduced to the world by the Kraken. He rappelled from the Climate Pledge Arena’s rafters, before being taken down in a preseason game against The Kraken. Vancouver Canucks.
The Kraken had already decided to have a mascot. Everything else was, however, a mystery. They didn’t know what name they would pick or how the mascot would look until now.
In the quest to find a mascot, hundreds of ideas and names were submitted by Kraken. Buoy emerged from all of it. He is the nephew Fremont Troll, the Seattle landmark sculpture that inspired him. The Kraken kept returning back to the name because it sounded right for a mascot.
“We looked at all of the characters in this region and wanted to make sure what we brought was unique. Kraken vice-president of entertainment experience, production Lamont Buford stated that we didn’t want our mascot to be like anyone else. “If you look at many mascots in sports you can see which ones were generated by looking at another mascot. We wanted that to be avoided.
It is not easy to create a mascot, especially in the post-Gritty age when expectations are already high for what is often subjective. The Kraken wanted a mascot who felt at home. However, this request came with some limitations. Because the octopus is already part of the mascot, they didn’t want it. Detroit Red Wings.
They didn’t want to use a Kraken. They claim that no one knows what a Kraken looks like. Because of this, they wanted to keep it a mystery but still had a mascot who could strike the right tone.
“We refer to the Kraken as living in the theaters of the mind. It is a mysterious beast. We don’t want it to be a cartoon company which is why the full kraken has not been revealed,” Kraken senior vice President of marketing and communication Katie Townsend explained. “It was an obvious decision that we would not take a kraken with us, but we would still do a deep-dive led by Lamont’s team to find the right mascot, both for the city, the fans, and for the brand.
Buford claimed that Buoy’s blue fur matches the team’s color scheme. The long hair of Buoy is a nod both to hockey hair and to Squatch the Seattle SuperSonics’ long-haired mascot. Buoy’s tentacle hanging from his ear is an indication that he “had an encounter” with a Kraken. His earring, however, is the same anchor as the team shoulder patch.
Buford is aware that only Trinity Christian College, an NAIA college in Illinois, has a troll mascot.
To make sure Buoy was both adult-friendly and family-friendly, the Kraken chose to test Buoy using different focus groups. This allowed the team to be an inviting presence at community events such as festivals and birthday parties.
Buoy got a squeaky nasal to do this. Buoy has a removable dent so that he can appear like a hockey player. Also, he does a dance called the “Buoy Boomee” at various times.
It extends to Buoy’s name. The B is designed to look like an underwater buoy with flashing lights. While the tail of the Y continues underneath his name in a wavelike fashion,
In 2020, the Kraken asked Buford and Townsend if they needed a Mascot. Buford and Townsend explained that the Kraken had been asking for one since fans kept telling them. They took up the challenge and spoke to different stakeholders. Then they began brainstorming.
The team eventually narrowed down to nine ideas with Buoy as the winner.
Townsend stated, “Some of them were things you could have imagined what would have been.” “Some were abstract like a Squatch. We also looked at marine life. We examined things that are associated with a Kraken. Squatch would not be the mascot. We hope the Sonics return one day, and that Sonics’ mascot.
As all of this was being discussed Buford and Townsend kept an eye on the door to ensure that no one else knew anything about the mascot. Secretiveness has been a major part of the Kraken’s operations. This was true for their logo and uniform design. Nobody knew they were hiring Dave Hakstol until they released a statement stating they had hired him. Philadelphia Flyers Coach to be the first coach in team history.
Buford’s Buoy team was responsible for its design, so they kept in touch. Townsend’s group did not see the mascot until May. Buoy was first seen by Kraken’s executive team in September. The Kraken players only met Buoy a week before release.
Before Buoy was introduced, there were many questions that the Kraken had. One of the most important questions was how Buoy would be received by the fans and the hockey community at large.
Mascots can be a contentious topic. Some people love them. They could be lost for many reasons. Social media can be a hot topic for at least a few days. This includes everything from their names to their appearance, as well as other details.
How can a team that has spent years creating a mascot be prepared for any criticisms that might come its way?
Townsend said, “I believe with a mascot it almost expects it to be 50-50.” It is very divisive. People are passionate about it. Some people are not mascot-lovers. That’s fine. We did our research with focus groups and created a mascot that fits our brand. Then we will launch the mascot.